Sage Steele emotional in ESPN return after getting struck in face at PGA Championship: ‘I thought I was dying’

By | June 9, 2022
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“SportsCenter” anchor Sage Steele made her successful return to ESPN airwaves on Wednesday, three weeks after she was struck in the face by an errant tee at the PGA Championship on Thursday, May 19.

The incident occurred after Steele, 49, had finished coverage for the day. She had reportedly moved to the gallery with other credentialed media members when an errant drive by Jon Rahm veered far left, prompting him to yell, “Fore left.”

MORE: ESPN’s Sage Steele reportedly struck in the face, hospitalized by errant Jon Rahm tee shot during PGA Championship

Video of the incident shows the ball traveling into the tree line, where a woman — later confirmed to be Steele — clutches her face and kneels to the ground.

Steele was able to leave the course on her own power and had since recovered from being struck in the face at her home in Connecticut.

MORE: Sage Steele lawsuit, explained: Why ‘SportsCenter’ anchor is reportedly suing ESPN

Following the end of their segment on Wednesday, Steele took time to give a heartfelt thank-you to “SportsCenter” co-host Matt Barrie, who was with her at the time of the incident at Southern Hills Golf Club in Tulsa, Okla.

“It is amazing how quickly life can change, right?” Steele said.

One moment you’re out on a course, just innocently watching amazing golfers play at a golf major. The next moment, you’re in pain with your entire life flashing before your eyes, scared to death, trying to comprehend what the hell just happened.

“I just looked at Matt and I just said, ‘Please don’t leave me.’ I grabbed your ankle with my bloody hand,” she said. “(He said,) ‘You’re going to be good. You’ll be fine.’ I don’t know if you believed it but you said it. It meant the world to me,” she said.

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